Prayer to the Spirit

Group Prayer from Level II:  

Come Holy Spirit,

Fill us with your love and goodness.

Free us from our sins and help us on our path to heaven. 

We pray that your power will take the evil away from the planet you made us.

Thank you Holy Spirit, thank you.

Amen

Pour Goodness into Herod

Flora, age 7, was working with the Leaven. She had prepared two bowls of flour and water--one with yeast and one without--in order to meditate on how the Kingdom of Heaven is like the leaven. Her catechist wondered how the dough with the leaven in it could be like the Kingdom of God. Pointing back and forth between the two bowls, she said:

(bowl with leaven)“Power, (bowl without leaven)No Power;
(bowl with leaven)Love (bowl without leaven)Less love;
(bowl with leaven)A big heart, a big family;
(bowl with leaven)“Bright, like God;(bowl without leaven)Dark, like Herod” (earlier in the day, she had had the presentation on the Flight into Egypt)
(bowl with leaven)Big world;(bowl without leaven)Tiny, tiny world
(bowl with leaven)Bread and wine;(bowl without leaven)Water and candy, cause candy’s not good for you.”
The following week, she asked about Herod, “Why would he kill a baby?” Flora was again working with the Leaven. She said, “I wish I could pour this in [the leavened dough into the unleavened]…pour goodness into Herod.”

He would need his power now...

During a "review" of Good Shepherd presentation at the beginning of the new school year:
Q: What do you already know about the Good Shepherd?"
Barney, age 6: "The Good Shepherd was Jesus. When Jesus decided to leave heaven and come down to earth, the angels held his power for him. And on the day when he went down under the water to get baptized, those angels brought him down his power and sprinkled it all through him like glitter, because they knew he would need his power now."

Do not be afraid for he is near

Another prayer from Julie, written in her missal when she was 8:

He is our place of rest.
His power is in us.
He is our shield.
He helps us in making peace.
The kingdom of God is all around.

Do not be afraid for he is near. (surrounded by crosses and lit candles)

Jesus is the son of God.
He is the dwelling of the Lord,
Who was not even defeated by the powers of death.
He sits upon the mighty throne of eternal holiness,
And cannot be taken down from it.
Healer of the sick, giver to the poor,
And rightful son of man.
May all the rightful people of earth praise his exalted name.
by Kimble, age 10

He helps us in making peace

A personal prayer from Julie's (8) missal:

He is our place of rest.
His power is in us.
He is our shield.
He helps us in making peace.
The kingdom of God is all around.

Do not be afraid for he is near. (surrounded by crosses and lit candles)

During a "review" of Good Shepherd presentation at the beginning of the new school year;
Q: What do you already know about the Good Shepherd?"
Ben: "The Good Shepherd was Jesus. When Jesus decided to leave heaven and come down to earth, the angels held his power for him. And on the day when he went down under the water to get baptized, those angels brought him down his power and sprinkled it all through him like glitter, because they knew he would need his power now."

Jesus is my only power.

During a Pentecost celebration. The children had lit small candles to place in front of the "gift" candles with the Paschal candle behind all. We were enjoying the moment, singing or being quiet. Kristopher, age 5, made this bold proclamation:

Jesus is my only power.
He was born and rose from the dead.
He is the (my) light,
the only son of the Father.'

Liturgy of the Light

During a celebration of the Liturgy of the Light:

Lina, age 4, looked frightened as she gazed into her lit candle. I asked if she was scared of the fire. She nodded yes without blinking or taking her eyes off of the flame. I asked if she wanted to blow her candle out. With equal intensity she shook her head no. Lina was experiencing deeply the power of the mystery; innately she knew that this power was greater than her fear.

The kingdom of God is all around

A personal prayer from Julie's (8) missal:

He is our place of rest.
His power is in us.
He is our shield.
He helps us in making peace.
The kingdom of God is all around.

Do not be afraid for he is near. (surrounded by crosses and lit candles)